PENTOXIFYLLINE INHIBITS TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR ALPHA-INDUCED PRIMING OF HUMAN NEUTROPHILS

The study was designed to study the effect of pentoxifylline PTX on th e chemiluminescence response of neutrophils and on tumor necrosis fact or-alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced priming of neutrophils. The results demon strate that TNF-alpha stimulated the respiratory burst by neutrophils and primed them for enhanced response to fMLP but not to PMA. The effe ct of TNF-alpha on the oxygen metabolism of neutrophils was inhibited when cells were treated with PTX. This reaction was dose-dependent. Ad ditionally, the inhibiting influence of PTX on the chemiluminescence r esponse of neutrophils was observed.